Sam Corcoran, this is your life  Please Review :
by newtoglee
Summary: Rachel's dads lied to her for 15 years; they didn't tell her that when she was born, another person came out; a person who has spent the last 4 years tracking her down...fits in with the storylines of seasons 1-3
1. Prologue

The Story of Sam Corcoran Prologue

They say it's our past that makes us who we are today, and yet we can't let the events or actions of our past keep us from driving us towards our dreams for the future. No one could have prepared me for the twists and turns my life would take after that fateful day over two years ago, the day I first set eyes on my long-lost sister, my twin sister nonetheless. This is not the story of a high school glee club, although I wouldn't be here if it weren't for many of the members of that same glee club. This story is about identity and how anything, even the smallest insignificant detail, can derail our lives and put us in scenarios we couldn't imagine in our wildest dreams. Its taken me a long time to get to this point, and a lot of the details are still sketchy to me, instead I am relying on the accounts of those closest to me, and I hope the story of my adolescent years can help others realise the importance of living their lives to the fullest and telling the people they care about how they feel, because you never know when everything you once knew, is taken from you in an instant…

Sectionals – November, 2009

"_Don't tell me not to live, just sit and putter._

_Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter._

_Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade!"_

"This girl is good," I heard Jesse quietly say next to me, not that I was paying much attention to him. I was too transfixed on the young woman marching down the aisle towards the stage, all the while belting out vocals the likes of which aren't usually seen in first-time performers. It can't be, I thought, what are the odds? I checked the program the usher had handed to me and looked under the current group, New Directions was their name, and instantly I knew who it was I was seeing, her name standing out at the top of the list of performers.

"That's her," I said, absolutely stunned at the realisation, "The girl I've been looking for since I came to Ohio. This is her!" I rapidly pointed at her name and showed it to Jesse.

"Who is she?" Jesse asked me.

"It's my sister, my twin sister!" I said, and as people began turning to me and shushing me, I grabbed Jesse by the shoulder and got out of our seats and exited the theatre room, but not before running into a group of people wearing similar clothes that Rachel was wearing. I made my way past them without giving them the chance at seeing my face. Jesse and I then headed to sit at the lobby café tables and I began to explain. "You know when I told you my mother died when I was 10? Well she said I was a sperm donor baby, but she wasn't counting on having twins, so she adopted my sister out to this gay couple from Ohio. After being bounced around the foster care system for 2 years I wound up here, and ever since I was hoping I would find her. All I knew was her name was Rachel."

"How do you know that girl on stage is her?" Jesse asked.

"She looks so much like my mother it's freaky, that and her name in the program, it can't be a coincidence, there's just no way." My mind was racing, "I can't believe it's been almost 4 years since I came to Ohio and there she is, a part of our competition."

"What are you going to do? Are you going to tell her who you are?"

"Are you kidding? She may have no idea I exist, the only thing she's likely to know is that her mother adopted her out! And I'm gonna show up in her life claiming to be her brother without any real proof? And what happens when she discovers I am the coach of her rival glee club? She'll think I'm just trying to mess with her!" I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. "No," I continued, "If we are to meet, she has to come to me, looking for her birth mother. And when she finds me…" I paused, closed my eyes and said, "We'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it."

"How can I help?" Jesse asked.

I looked at him and asked "You mean that?"

"Totally," Jesse said, "I've got an idea, what if I became friends with her? Then after we spend some time together, I can begin to probe around, get some information and see if I can't motivate her into finding her mother. And when the time is right, there you'll be."

I thought about it for a moment, he seemed serious, but Jesse wasn't the kind of guy who befriends girls, he goes much further than that, sometimes with more than one girl at the same time. "Come on Jesse, we both know that you can't just be friends with a girl."

"I'll consider it an acting exercise!" Jesse explained, "Besides, this is about a lot more than just a glee club contest, it's about getting closure. I mean, you never know what if she meets you and she becomes the sister you've always wanted. You told me your mother's biggest regret was not giving you a sibling."

I considered his plan for a moment, and finally decided to go for it. "Okay," I said, "Let's do it. You befriend her, and we'll go on from there." We both stood up to leave, "How do you plan to get her to know you?" I asked.

"Don't worry," Jesse responded, as we walked towards my Range Rover, a gift from our Booster club for winning our Sectionals last week, "I have a plan of my own."

We drove out of that parking lot, but I couldn't but question if what I was doing, and involving Jesse, was the wisest of decisions I ever made.


	2. Chapter 1: Meeting the Competition

**Chapter One: Meeting the Competition**

"_Living easy, Livin' free,_

_Seasoned tickets on a one-way ride_

_Going down, party town_

_My friends are gonna be there too…"_

So far so good, I thought as I watched my team perform our latest number. Just as Jesse began leading the chorus, I thought I saw the ground entry doorway open and someone poke his head in, but decided to ignore it and continue to watch.

"_I'm on the highway to hell!_

_On the highway to hell!_

_Highway to hell!_

_I'm on the Highway to Hell!"_

Uh-oh, I realized, this was where most fatal errors are encountered. Having a chorus that repeated the same line over and over was very difficult to pull off. I made a note to think of ways to mix that section around a bit, to add some variability to the number; we don't need the audience thinking we're predictable.

"_Ooooooooooooh don't stop me,_

_Ooooh, Yeah-eh!"_

As the flame columns subsided, I decided to go with harsh truth. "No. Stop, stop, stop," I started, "Seriously guys? It's like watching beige paint dry. Could everyone please look at Jesse," I pointed, and everyone's head turned, "Jesse, give us a show face," I asked. Jesse then gave an intense smile, I thought he looked like he was constipated, "That's a show face guys," I continued, "You wanna look so talented, its literally hurting you. I want a look that's so optimistic, it could cure cancer." Everyone then gave me the same look Jesse had. "That's what I'm talking about! Take five everybody, drink a Redbull."

I began to tidy up my sheet music, just as a man with curly hair approached me and asked "Are you Sam Corcoran?" He held out his hand for me to shake, which I did, "I'm Will Schuster."

"I'm sorry; I don't know who you are." I answered.

"Oh, I'm a big fan of your work; I was surprised to see you're only a teenager. I also coach the McKinley Glee club, New Directions."

"I'm not usually cotton too well with our competition sneaking in to watch a rehearsal, but from what I hear you guys aren't much competition."

"I believe you have a student named Jesse St. James?" Will asked, "I think he may be dating one of my students." Rachel, I thought, and made note to speak to Jesse about dating her rather than befriending her like I asked. Will continued to say, "I'm more than a little concerned about the fraternising with the enemy aspect of the relationship."

"You think we're spying on you?" I asked, "Don't you think it's a bit hypocritical to accuse me of spying by casually coming to tell me during one of my rehearsals?"

Will looked at me a moment and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't realise you were in rehearsal. Its just I'm very concerned for my student, Rachel. She's an important member of the team, and I just don't want her to get hurt."

"Noted," I said, acknowledging his point, "Look, I don't stand for any funny business, and Jesse's a good kid, and I seriously doubt that he would date anyone from the competition unless he was really falling for her." I began to pick up the rest of my things and leave, "I mean, what can you do when the heart wants what the heart wants…Sometimes there's that little spark."

As began to leave the auditorium to go our separate ways, Will asked me, "Sorry, I'm still getting over the fact that our biggest rivals are coached by a student. How did that happen?"

I chuckled to myself, this wasn't the first time other coaches were thrown, "Actually my mother was a big performer on Broadway when I was little, so I saw a lot of professional performances. When I started coming here, I actually started Vocal Adrenaline as an after-school activity, and that was when the competitor in me awoke, I imagine."

"Is your mother still a performer?" Will asked as we continued walking toward the parking lot.

"Actually," I said, and hesitated, "She died when I was 10, after which I spent 2 years being bounced around the foster care system before settling here. Music was really the only thing I enjoyed during that time so I drilled myself into and became a top glee club coach."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Will said.

I sensed he was uncomfortable where the conversation had turned, so I decided to help him out, "Well, the past is the past, we can only move forward. So what do you think about the competition?"

"What do you mean?" Will asked.

"I spend every waking minute thinking about Vocal Adrenaline. I haven't been to party or on a date in over a year. That's the price you pay for winning championships, I think."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Will said, "I've been so focused on the glee club, I think it played a big part in ending my marriage."

"How long have you been divorced?"

"Umm, not really divorced yet," he said, "And to make things more complicated, a little while ago I started seeing someone who I really care about."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on," I said, stopping us at the front doors, "You're already seeing someone, you're not even divorced yet, and you're taking the time to come see me about our clubs?" This guys biting more than he can chew, I thought.

"I guess I'm kind of a mess." Will said.

"Look, I can't tell you what to do," I began.

"Please, go ahead," Will responded, "I could use the opinion of a fellow glee coach."

"It sounds to me like you're asking too much of yourself," I began, "You just finished being somebody's husband and that didn't really work out, and now you're running off to be someone's boyfriend. All the while trying to do right by your glee club and getting them to win in their first year of competition? You need to take a little breather. Take a little time to introduce yourself to yourself; find out what it is you want." By this point we had reached our respective vehicles, coincidently parked next to each other. I continued to say, "That hair, that dimple, that terrible clunker you drive," I pointed at his car, "I think you're gonna be just fine in the romance department, my friend."

Will chuckled and asked, while opening his car door, "How did a kid your age get to be so smart?"

I laughed, "That's a story for another day." I opened my door, "If I were you, Will, I'd focus on the glee club for the time being. They're depending on you to get them through the next competition. Don't let your complicated love life distract you from your commitment to them. And I'm serious about this, your Glee club needs to be at their best if they hope to defeat mine at Regionals."

"You're on!" Will said as he entered his car and pulled away. As he drove off into the distance, I couldn't help but smile and think, even though this man was my competition, I couldn't help but like him. He seemed like one of the most genuine human beings I had ever met, which was hard when everyone around you expects you to get them that win.

Driving home, I began to wonder if this wouldn't be the only time I crossed paths with Will Schuster.

*NOTE: I don't intend for my character to come off as gay for Will Schuster, I'm trying to get across the idea that Sam and Will become really good friends for each other, nothing more. Sorry if my writing came across the wrong way.


	3. Chapter 2: The Tape

**Chapter Two – The Tape**

Time was running out, I thought as I sat and waited for Jesse in my car. The rain pounding down upon my window did little to ease my anxiety. I gave Jesse a tape that I used to listen to at night to help me sleep; my mother's song voice was once the only thing that kept me company in foster care. But in order for Rachel to be able to find me, she needed to hear my voice, so I mixed it onto the tape to make it seem like I was singing a duet with my mother. My train of thought was interrupted when suddenly my door flew open, and Jesse hoisted himself into the passenger seat, dripping wet from the rain outside.

"She has the tape," he started, breathing heavily from running, "But she won't listen to it."

"What?" I exclaimed, shocked and disappointed at the news, "She has to listen to it, that's the point of all this."

"I'm doing my best," Jesse continued, "Look, when you said I should seduce her…"

"Befriend her was the term I used actually," I snapped back at him, my mind flashing back a few months prior when I came across Jesse and Rachel on my stage, making out. I made eye contact with Jesse that very well said I did not approve of the way he handled things.

"Whatever," Jesse quickly said, "Anyways, when this all started, I thought it would be a good acting exercise. But now," he hesitated, "I think I may really like her. I don't want her to get hurt."

My mind was thinking about the possible scenarios how this would end, but I knew that eventually Jesse would come back to Vocal Adrenaline, which would mean leaving New Directions and breaking Rachel's heart. I just knew that the sooner it happened, the more time Rachel would have to recover to be at her best for competition. "One more week," I said, "One more week, this will be done and you can come back to Vocal Adrenaline where you belong."

"I just don't see why you don't come forward now and tell her who you are. She knows about her mother, and thanks to the sonogram picture you had me slip into her box, she knows she might have a sibling out there. She refuses to ask her father's, saying that she wants to make this discovery on her own."

"It's not that simple anymore," I explained, "From the information you've given me, it seems I wasn't just a sperm donor baby. My mother didn't give up a daughter; she signed a contract saying that she wouldn't seek Rachel out until she was eighteen. Instead, it sounds like Rachel's dads gave me up instead when they found out they couldn't afford to raise two kids."

"Oh," Jesse said, "I didn't think about it that way."

"It's okay," I reassured him, "I've had to deal with a lot in my life and I sort of understand it. My life is already really messed up, but Rachel has always had a loving, stable family with her dads, and I refuse to drop a bomb like this on them. That's why she has to come to me, on her own terms. That's why she needs to listen to that tape." I stared outside at the rain, "Once she hears it I know she'll be ready to come and find me."

"I'm still trying to understand how this all happened, from the beginning," Jesse said, "Can you explain how it got so…messed up?"

I smiled, knowing it is a really messed up tale. I sat up and decided to explain the way I saw things, "My mom answered an ad in the paper. Nine months work here would make her enough money to live in New York for three years. Her dads seemed like nice guys so she went for it." I paused, thinking back to what my mother told me, "She told me we never let go of each other's hand, when we were delivered. Even as they cleaned us up, our hands kept reaching for each other. Anyways, she only got to hold us both together once." I pulled out my wallet and grabbed small photo to show to Jesse. Looking at my mother holding her two babies, I couldn't stop thinking how much Rachel looked like her. "This photo is the only real proof I have of a sister. From what I gather, Rachel's dads didn't have enough money to raise both kids, so my mother agreed to take me and raise me, and when we were older both parties would explain what happened and Rachel and I would have been arranged to meet." I sighed, "But my mother died before she got the chance to contact Rachel's dads and from then on I was in foster care until I came here."

Jesse was dead silent. I could tell he was struggling to find the words to respond with, but I understood. I chuckled, "You know, my mom never made it big as an actress. Her walls were lined with trophies instead of wedding and family pictures. I mean, she dated a few guys, even got serious with one, but I could tell that even though on the outside she was happy, deep down she only had one regret." We stayed silent for a moment, before I looked right at Jesse and told him, "You have to make her listen to that tape."

Jesse nodded, and left my car without saying another word. As Jesse left, I turned on my CD player; the soothing intro to _I Dreamed a Dream_ was enough to make me imagine seeing my mother on stage, preparing to perform.

"_I dreamed a dream in time gone by_

_When hope was high and life worth living._

_I dreamed that love would never die_

_I dreamed that God would be forgiving."_

As the song reached its second verse, my mind began to picture seeing Rachel singing alongside her, the voices in perfect harmony.

"_But the tigers come at night (But the tigers come at night)._

_With their voices soft as thunder._

_As they tear your hope apart (As they tear your hope apart)._

_As they turn your dream to Shame (Shame)."_

As the build up reached its climax, I decided to join in the song, all the while imagining how perfect it would have been to sing together, all three of us.

"_And still I dream she'll come to me,_

_That we will live the years together._

_But there are dreams that cannot be._

_And there are storms we cannot weather."_

As I sang along with the final verse, I shed a tear, knowing that my dream of singing alongside my mother and my sister would always remain that way, a dream I could never hope to achieve. But I knew that the most difficult part of my plan had yet to come. And nothing could have prepared me for the bomb that was going to drop in on me just two weeks later, during a rehearsal with Vocal Adrenaline.

"Uh, Uh, Oomph, Clap-Clap, and five, six, seven, eight, and one, two, three, four, five, six and seven, eight…" I continued to chant along the beat of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance. I decided to test Vocal Adrenaline on their theatricality technique. I knew that if you wanted people to notice you, you couldn't be afraid of going unconventional. And no-one screamed "Look at Me" more so than the queen of theatricality, Lady Gaga.

But even looking at my team attempt to pull of Bad Romance, I could tell there was something missing. I spared no expense, ordering crazy costumes to go with the number, but I couldn't sense the right energy from my performers. They were merely attempting to mimic Lady Gaga, but they were hesitant to find their inner Gaga and exude their own theatricality.

"Stop, Stop it right there," I said, cutting off the music from the orchestra, "You guys aren't getting it. You're letting the costumes do all the work. Theatricality isn't about crazy outfits, it's not enough to just soak yourselves gasoline, you have to light yourselves on fire to make it work. But being theatrical doesn't have to be a massive nuclear explosion; it can like…like a quiet storm. You just have to radiate emotion, express what's deep inside you, no matter what it is. That is what theatricality is truly about."

I was met with a lot of dim looks from my team. With a big sigh I said, "Do I have to demonstrate?" They nodded. "Alright, I'll show you what I mean." As they went to their seats I explained to them, "And for those insecure men in the group who don't feel comfortable singing a woman's song, I shall be demonstrating using a woman's song too." I looked at the orchestra, "Funny Girl, B Flat."

As the intro harp began to pluck, I took a deep breath and looked directly into the mirror on stage,

"_Funny, did you hear that?_

_Funny, yeah the guy said 'Honey, you're a funny girl.'_

_That's me; I just keep them in stiches, doubled in half._

_Doubled in half, and though I may be all wrong for the guy_

_I'm good for a laugh; I guess it's not funny_

_Life is far from sunny"_

As I continued to sing, I saw what looked like someone on the upper gallery start walking down, but I couldn't see who it was.

"_When the laugh is over, and the jokes on you_

_A girl ought 'a have a sense of humour_

_that's one thing you really need for sure, when you're a funny girl._

_The fella said a funny girl…funny_

_How it aint so funny, funny girl."_

"Sam Corcoran?" a voice said from the audience. I looked in the direction of the voice and stared into the face of the last person I expected it to be. She stared back at me with a look of hope in her eyes, my mother's eyes. "I'm Rachel Berry," she said, "I'm your sister."


	4. Chapter 3: Getting to Know You

**Chapter Three: Getting to know you**

We just sat there. Everyone one else had left the hall, leaving just these two sixteen year olds in total silence. The tension was almost unbearable. After what seemed like an eternity, it was finally Rachel who broke the silence.

"Does she ever regret it?" Rachel asked. The tense of her question once again told me she did not know about our mother passing. I still couldn't bring myself to fully tell her the truth, as was reflected in my response.

"Yes," I began, "and no, and so much."

"When did you realise it was the right time for me to find you?"

I smiled, "I saw you sing at Sectionals, you were extraordinary." You were mom, I thought to myself.

"Was it hard for her not to become a star, to not have her dreams come true?"

I thought for a moment, "She told me, it felt like a broken promise. Like the fisher king's wound, it never fully heals."

I heard Rachel chuckle quietly to herself and say "Genetics really are amazing. We see the world with the same fierce theatricality. Even the way we're sitting right now, it's so dramatic and yet I feel so comfortable with it."

I missed so much, I thought to myself. I leaned forward towards her and asked, "How do you feel?"

"Thirsty," she answered. This confused me like hell, but she continued, "When I was little and I was sad, my dad's would bring me a glass of water. It got so I couldn't tell if I was sad or just thirsty."

I sighed, "Um," I began, but I couldn't find the words, "I shouldn't have done this." I began to pick up my belongings and prepare to walk out; I couldn't bear to remain there with a girl I was lying to, my sister no less, "This was supposed to feel good. We were supposed to have some sort of…slow motion…run into each other's arms. This is all wrong."

"Maybe we could all just go to dinner or something, just to get over the initial shock?" Rachel said, looking up at me, her eyes almost pleading.

I looked deep in her eyes, and I could've sworn I saw my mother looking back at me. "I'm so sorry Rachel," I said. After a long pause, I said, "Um…look, I'll call you." We looked at each other with a slight nod of agreement.

I didn't call Rachel like I promised. I was still recovering from the almost coronary I had when I laid eyes on her in the audience, when she was watching me perform _Funny Girl_. And then to look right at her and lie to her about our mother still being alive, I didn't know how I was going to approach the situation. Luckily for me though, the decision was gonna be made for me a little later on. Anyways, the next time I saw Rachel was an exact 24 hours after our first meeting.

I was sitting in the auditorium during another Gaga rehearsal for Vocal Adrenaline, who I was glad to see had listened to me and were putting a little more theatricality into the number. As the number finished, I said "Yeah that's better guys. Take five. Oh, and ladies, I don't wanna hear any complaints about chafing just because you're being forced to wear metal underwear. Keep the area well lubricated, that's the best advice I can offer."

I turned off my mike and made a few more notes before a heard a girl's voice nearby ask "Sam?"

I turned towards the voice and saw Rachel; she was draped in a sheet. I said, "Rachel, you can't keep sneaking into these rehearsals."

"It's kind of important," she said, and began to reveal what was under the sheet. All I could muster was an Oh Good God at what she was wearing. It was a variety of stuffed animals all stapled onto her blouse. "My dad's can't sew," she explained, "I really need a mom right now. Think you can help?"

I paused for a moment, and then told her wait whilst I went backstage. I reached into the mobile closet and pulled out a black outfit consisting of geometrical shapes. I looked out at Rachel and sized her up and thought it would fit her. Once I gave her the outfit, she walked off with a smile on her face. I couldn't bear the thought that I was still fighting off the fact that I had to tell her about our mother.

The next day, after school had finished, my cell phone buzzed in my jeans. When I answered, a familiar voice was on the other end. "Sam?" Will Schuster asked, "Is that you?"

"Yes Will, it's me," I answered.

"Sam, I want to know if you can have a word with me this afternoon, in my office at McKinley. There's a few things I want to discuss with you."

I hesitated, Will Schuster must have found out about my being Rachel's brother. He knew about Jesse and Rachel dating and knew I must've been a part of some sort of plot to mess with his team. "Sure," I answered, "I'll be there in 10 minutes."

"See you then." Will said, and we hung up.

A short while later I was sitting in Will Schuster's office, sitting across from the coach of my opposing glee club. I began the discussion, "I know why you called, and don't worry. My reconnection with Rachel is not part of some sort of plot to mess with you guys before Regionals."

"I'm not worried about Regionals," Will responded, a look of truly deep concern in his eyes, "Its Rachel, she's special. You two share the best of each other; strong willed, dramatic, wildly talented…"

I took a deep sigh before continuing with "But…"

"But she's not hard like you," he said, the words cutting me inside like a shard of glass, even though I knew he was right. He continued "She's fragile, over emotional, and yet she hasn't had to endure the same tragedies that you have. She has convinced herself that you are as committed to this reunion as she is." He paused, "And I don't think you are. You're not prepared to suddenly be a brother to your sister, are you?"

I looked back at him and I realised what he was saying. Even though he didn't say the words, he knew I was holding back, and if I was to truly be a brother to Rachel, I wouldn't have hesitated in telling her the harsh truth. So with a deep sigh, I began to tell my side of the tale, "My mom died when I was 10 years old. There were issues a while back, and some surgery and she just didn't wake up." Will slid over a box of tissues at which point I realised my eyes were watering, not something I was accustomed to back then, so I continued, "I really wanted a sister, growing up. That's why it was important to me to make that bond with her." I paused, "But you're right. I guess what I really wanted was the same sense of family I once knew, I wanted some sort of connection back to the mother I lost. Rachel's an adult now; we don't even know each other."

Will looked at me with what I believed was a genuine look of care for my wellbeing in his eyes and said, "Sam, I can't tell you what to do…"

"Please do," I responded, "I could use the opinion of a fellow glee club coach."

"If you really care about her," he continued, "If you really want to be her brother, you have to tell her what you just told me."

I wiped away the water in my eyes, and nodded in agreement with him, and he and I arranged for Rachel to be in the auditorium tomorrow afternoon where we could have some privacy.

I walked into the McKinley High auditorium where I saw Rachel arranging her sheet music by the piano. Her back was turned to me, so I asked her a question to let her know I was here.

"How'd your dads come up with the name Rachel?" I asked.

Rachel turned to me and smiled, "They were um…big Friends fans." I stood on the other side of the piano and placed my duffel bag on top. We looked in each other's eyes, and I could tell she knew what I had to tell her. "I know why you're here," she said, "My mother's not coming."

"I really wanted this to work," I said, as I felt tears begin to well up, but I managed to keep them in check, "Do you know what really turned me?" I asked. Rachel shook her head and I continued, "It was that story, about how your dads would bring you water when you were sad." I paused, because this was the real reason I needed to make clear, "We're never gonna share anything like that. It's too late for us. I just think that anything we share right now is gonna be confusing for both of us."

"I just don't understand how, I mean, you're my family. I should just want to run into your arms and have my brother tell me that everything's gonna be alright, but, I just don't feel it."

I thought about what she said and I realised why she was feeling this way, why she wasn't crying at the news of her mother not being around. I said, "It's because I'm your brother, but we're not family."

We looked at each other in silent agreement. Rachel then asked, "So what now? Do we just pretend as if we don't know each other?"

I stood up and said, "That seems silly. Let's just be grateful for one another, from afar. At least for a little while." I then smiled and added, "Don't think for a second that I'm gonna go soft on you during Regionals."

"Bring it" Rachel said with a slight chuckle.

After a slight pause, I asked "Can I have a hug goodbye?"

"Sure" Rachel said. We approached each other and then I slowly held her in my arms, not wanting to let go. I closed my eyes during the embrace, and I could sense she did to. After a short while we separated.

"Can you do me one more favour?" I asked, to which she nodded and I reached into my bag and pulled out a very nice cup, decorated with golden stars and on the side, I put a copy of our mother's photo, the one that was taken shortly after we were born, the only photo of both me and Rachel. "Sometime when you're thirsty, can you get yourself some water from this cup? Gold stars are kind of my thing."

"Of course" Rachel said, with a smile when she looked at the photograph. Rachel then turned and asked me "Sam? Could you, um, do you think you might wanna sing with me? It's kind of been a fantasy of mine since we met."

I smiled at her and said "I'd be honoured."

At that moment, a man entered the room and sat down at the piano and began to play. Rachel started us off.

"_I wanna hold 'em like I do in Texas, please._

_Fold 'em, let 'em hit them, raise it, baby stay with me._

_Love the game intuition, play the cards with spades to start._

_And after he's been hooked, I play the one that's on his heart…"_

As Rachel sang, I was so happy to have that opportunity, and hoped we could do it again someday. Soon enough the time came for me to join in.

"_Can't read my, can't read my, no you can't read my Poker Face."_

And so we continued back and forth with the lyrics for the duration of the number, and sadly we both knew the end was coming.

"_Can't read my, Can't read my, no you can't read my Poker Face._

_He's got to love nobody…"_

We stared at each other once the number ended for what seemed like an age. I then decided the time came to say goodbye. So I picked up my bag and began to walk away, but not before turning to Rachel and said "That was amazing." I put my hand on her shoulder and said, "You are really, really good." And with one last glance, I exited the auditorium.

But I didn't realise that day wasn't the end of my relationship with my sister. It was only just beginning, as well as my long journey with that entire glee club known as New Directions.


	5. Chapter 4: Stuck in My Own Kind of Funk

**Chapter Four: Stuck in My Own Kind of Funk**

A week had passed since Rachel and I had decided to take a break from getting to know each other. But this week, I realised, would be the beginning of the end of an era, the era in which I was the coach of Vocal Adrenaline, because I was about to see the consequences of my actions as coach by creating of team of hyper-competitive, over-achieving egomaniacs. I eventually decided I needed to teach them a lesson in showmanship.

I was waiting for my team in the auditorium when they entered, with a look of smugness on their faces, and instantly I knew where they had been. It had become a sort of tradition for the group to ambush opposing teams in their own auditorium right before a competition, while a small number of them trashed their choir room, without causing and legal damages, of course. One look at their smug faces, I took a huge sigh and said "Okay, where'd you guys hit this time?"

"McWimply High," said Andrea Cohen, "Those guys didn't see it coming, especially that Rachel chick who's supposed to be their best performer." She and the rest of the team walked up on stage to prepare to practice.

However, I caught Jesse's gaze and waved him over side-stage for a private chat. "What were you thinking?" I asked, "I specifically asked you not to mess with New Directions."

"I know," Jesse said, "But it was hard to convince the others not to, I mean we've done it every year. But don't worry; we didn't do anything particularly nasty, just what we usually do."

"Hmmm," I said, but just as we turned to join the others, Andrea started yelling to everyone on stage.

"And did you guys see that girl Rachel's face when she saw her boyfriend on stage with us, and he broke with her then and there. It was priceless," she cackled and everyone on stage joined in.

I turned and gave Jesse a look of such rage it took all of my energy not to punch him then and there for what he did. Instead, I grabbed him by the shoulder and held him against the wall and said, "You told me that you broke up with her last week and that she wasn't too upset! You lied to me!" I paused a moment before I decided to hit him where I knew it would hurt and asked, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't pull Vocal Adrenaline out of competition?", all the while knowing it was an empty threat, hoping Jesse didn't know; I couldn't just have the team disqualified without facing the wrath of the Booster clubs that kept us at our best.

"Wait; hear me out," Jesse pleaded, "I had no choice. I tried to break up with her, but I couldn't do it. I wasn't lying when I said I love her! It was the others who revealed that I had transferred back here and had backed out of New Directions."

I considered him for moment, and decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. So I grabbed his phone from his jacket pocket and said to him "Okay, but you are going to send her a text asking her to meet you after school tomorrow. You are going to talk, and you are going to break up with her properly, and there will be no ridicule or mocking. And if it makes it easier, you can make me the bad guy. But you cannot keep her hanging and still be member of Vocal Adrenaline. You are going to make a choice."

And without another word, I stormed on stage, and worked that team harder than they ever worked before. But little did I know, was that right outside in the school parking lot, a couple of members of New Directions were getting their own form of revenge.

I walked onto the deserted lot and walked towards by Range Rover, but suddenly I heard a strange hissing noise, and noticed that the roofs of the Range Rovers seemed to shrink down towards the floor. Then I realised what was happening and ran towards the vehicles, where I saw two guys clad in black jackets and jeans slashing the tyres of all the Range Rovers that belonged to Vocal Adrenaline. Without thinking I came up behind one of them who had a Mohawk, and incapacitated him with a sharp blow to the shoulder; he dropped his knife and I then twisted his arm behind his back and knocked his knees out from behind. With one down, I quickly found the other attempting to run, but it wasn't long before I caught up and had him on the ground in seconds. I then grabbed my cell phone and dialled 911. "Hello?" I said into the mouthpiece, "I need to report two individuals for vehicular vandalism."

"Wait, wait, wait!" the guy I chased down began to yell, "Please, don't call the police."

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't?" I asked him. That was when I looked at him and recognised he was one of the members of New Directions. I realised they were getting their revenge on my team for trashing their choir room, but I couldn't ignore the fact that they caused a lot of physical damage. "Alright," I told him, "But I am contacting your principal and then he can decide what to do with you."

The next day, I was in principal Figgin's office at McKinley High. Along with the two vandals, Mr Schuster and some blonde woman whose face I recognised from a few sports magazines was there too. At that moment, the kid with the Mohawk, whose name I learned was Puck, was talking.

"All right," Puck said, "I did it. All I did was step up and be a man. They got what was coming to them!"

"A few of my students TP'd your choir room," I said back to him, "You two slashed the tyres of the Range Rovers of all 26 of my performers." I turned to the principal, "Those were gifts for our win at Sectionals. That's 200 times 26 times 4 equals…I don't have a calculator."

"Wait," Will said, "You guys all got Range Rovers?"

"We have a very active booster club." I explained.

"Look, nobody got hurt, it was a harmless prank," Will began to say, before the blonde woman cut him off with a story about a certain historic individual whom I was pretty sure was not Abraham Lincoln. I remember thinking to myself if this woman was for real, before eventually she was cut off by Figgins.

"It doesn't matter," Figgins said, "These two boys have committed a felony. They are hereby expelled."

I paused for a moment, considering what the implications, before deciding to interject with "Look, I don't want anyone to get expelled. I'm not going to press charges, so long as you pay for the damage. You can take it out of the glee club budget."

"That will bankrupt the glee club; we don't have that kind of money!" Will said to me.

"We'll get jobs," the boy I now knew was called Finn said. He turned to me and said "Let us pay you back, Sam. We promise."

I looked at him, and decided to accept his offer. "Fine," I said, and without another word I turned around and left the office.

I didn't realise that during that meeting with Principal was the same moment when Rachel received the text from Jesse saying they needed to talk. I walked towards the parking lot where the meeting was taking place. But I wasn't expecting to see my entire team there with them. What I saw next horrified me to my roots, because before I realised what was happening, each member of Vocal Adrenaline was pummelling my sister with eggs. And then I saw Jesse approach her real close, and then bust and egg on top of her head. The team then entered their newly patched vehicles and drove off, leaving Rachel in a mess of egg yolk.

I ran towards Rachel, not knowing what to say. She was crying. I knelt down beside her and said "I'm sorry," because I knew deep down it was me who ultimately responsible, "Come on, I'll give you a lift home." Luckily, my car was the only one that Puck and Finn didn't slash.

I drove her home in total silence, and I could understand why. I asked her if she wanted me to stay until her dads came home from work, but as soon as I stopped the car in front of her house, she grabbed her bag and ran inside without a word.

I sat in that car for 5 minutes, trying to think of what I could do. I couldn't just quit Vocal Adrenaline, knowing I had booster clubs to answer too. And throwing the competition was out too, because deep down I knew Vocal Adrenaline were talented enough to be that confident about a sure win. I then decided that I needed to teach my team a lesson in Funk, the one kind of music I considered their weakness. And with that thought, I picked up my cell and called Will Schuster.

I knew I was taking a risk by even entering the New Directions choir room the next afternoon, but I needed to face the music myself, seeing as how I was the responsible for what was happening. Rachel was explaining what had happened to her the day before, when Puck and the other New Directions males decided to get up and track down Jesse and 'rearrange' his face. I then stepped into the room and said "You don't want to do that, Puck. Lay a hand on anyone and our deal regarding the tyre damage is off." Puck and the rest of the guys looked at me, and I could see the rage in their eyes. Before they could interject, I said "Besides, I've got a much better idea."

I knew they didn't believe me; after all I was the coach of the enemy, so I decided that actions speak louder than words. I grabbed my cell and dialled Jesse to give him a message. "Jesse," I began, "I just received a call from Will Schuster, and Vocal Adrenaline has been invited to a private performance by New Directions. He assures me that no one will be hurt; they just want to perform a number for us. I need you to pass this message on to the rest of the team to be here at 3.00pm tomorrow in their auditorium."

I hung up my phone only to be met with confused stares by New Directions. Will then said "Just hear him out on his plan, guys."

"Okay," I began, "This animosity needs to end now, but I'm not naïve to think Vocal Adrenaline will just stop. So I'm gonna teach them a lesson myself, using your talents." I could tell a few of them were still unsure of what I meant, so I continued on, "First of all, what I am about to tell you doesn't leave this room. Second of all, not a word to anyone, not even your folks or fellow classmates that I was ever here today." Surprisingly, they nodded in agreement.

I then began to write the word FUNK on the whiteboard. "Mr Schuster tells me that you guys have been learning about Funk music and that it is supposedly the only weakness of Vocal Adrenaline." I turned to them and continued, "But apparently you guys haven't been totally grasping the concept of funk and its implications. Well, this afternoon I am going to give you the perfect song that expresses true funk, and I am going to be your coach for the number. By tomorrow you will be masters at the funk style and will show Vocal Adrenaline what a true threat you are to their position."

"Why would you help us?" the Asian girl asked me.

"Because," I explained, "Contrary to what you might believe, I actually like your group. I've seen you perform and believe you can go far. On that note," I looked at Will, "This number cannot be part of your set list; make no mistake, my loyalty is with Vocal Adrenaline, and I trust you guys won't make me traitor. This number I believe will put my team in a Funk, which is what I'm told is what you guys want. Well, I can make that happen. Do we have a deal?"

Finn stood up and approached me, and held out his hand. I shook it and then said "Let's get to work."

The next day I was standing on stage next to Mr Schuster while Rachel addressed Vocal Adrenaline, whom was sitting in the audience. After she finished her spiel, the band began to play, and the boy called Kurt walked on stage and began the number. Not long after was the rest of New Directions joining him on stage and singing.

"_You got a real type of thing going down, getting down,_

_There's a whole lot of rhythm going round._

_You got a real type of thing going down, getting down,_

_There's a whole lot of rhythm going round."_

So far so good, I thought, as the group began the chorus and had impressive dance moves demonstrated by Mike Chang and Brittney.

"_We want the funk, give up the funk._

_We need the funk, we gotta have that funk._

_We want the funk, give up the funk._

_We need the funk, we gotta have that funk."_

As the group began the 'Na na na na na, na's', their dancing was led by the pregnant girl named Quinn, whom I had to admit looked the most into expressing her deepest angers with the world. Soon enough they were reaching the end of the number and I had to admit I liked the look of pure fear on my team's faces; this was just what they needed. As they reached the ending, with Mercedes finishing with an impressive run, they began walking off stage, but not before Puck told the group "See you at Regionals."

When they had left the room, I walked across the stage to address my team. I heard Jesse say "They did a funk number; we've never been able to do a funk number."

"Well that's because we're soulless automatons" replied Andrea.

"I'm so depressed," said Jesse, a look of despair on his face.

On that note, I told the group, "Well it seems like we have our work cut out for us. Good news is, I have learned of the group dynamic, and I know of how we can beat them. But in order to do so, there will be no more wasting time with intimidating the competition. Instead, anyone who wants to win Regionals will come back to Carmel with me and we will work to the bone to win this contest. Who's with me?"

At that instant, I knew my tactic had worked. I felt pretty good about what I had achieved; I got to watch the group dynamic of our competition and see their weaknesses, all the while keeping Vocal Adrenaline from doing this to another group.

We then went back to prepare our set list for a final showdown with New Directions, and I had no idea of just what kind of toll this competition would take on me, and my future with Vocal Adrenaline.


	6. Chapter 5: The End of an Era

**Chapter 5: The End of an Era**

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the 2010 Western Regional Ohio Show Choir Competition!"

I stood side stage as the MC announced the celebrity judges for this year's competition; Josh Groban, Olivia Newton John, Rod Remington, and most bizarre of all, Sue Sylvester. A quick scan of the audience revealed to me a full house, and standing in the isle I saw Will Schuster.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to Sam Corcoran, for a special performance for you today, to raise money for the Ohio children's shelter."

The audience then clapped as I walked onstage and took my place behind the microphone. I should probably mention that each year when Carmel High hosts a competition, I put on a solo performance to raise money for charity, as a way of generating morale, and hope that people see the glee is more than just singing and dancing. Just before the music began, I caught Will Schuster's eye, and was relieved when he smiled, as if to wish me luck, as I began to sing.

"_I have often dreamed, of a far off place_

_Where a hero's welcome, would be waiting for me._

_Where the crowd will cheer, when they see my face_

_Where a voice keeps saying, this is where I'm meant to be."_

The audience began to cheer as I entered into the chorus; some of them even began to sing along.

"_I will find my way, I can go the distance_

_I'll be there someday, if I can be strong._

_I know every mile will be worth my while._

_When I go the distance, I'll be right where I belong."_

After I complete my performance, I addressed the audience "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen for indulging me today. And now, it gives me great pleasure to introduce our first performers for today, the outstanding Aural Intensity!"

The curtain behind me rose up to reveal a group dressed entirely in white, and as I walked backstage they began their mash up of _Magic_ and _You Raise Me Up._

Walking past the room which housed New Directions for the day, I could overhear them almost panicking about the pandering that Aural Intensity were doing by performing numbers done by the judges. I decided it was best not to interrupt them prior to their performance.

I didn't have to wait long to see them perform. I actually missed Rachel and Finn's performance of _Faithfully_, but I could hear them, and I must say, I thought they sounded rather well together. I could sense a certain intimacy between their voices.

As they entered the second song of their set list, a mash up of _Anyway You Want It_ and _Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'_, I realised they were performing a Journey medley. I came up beside Will Schuster side stage. We gave each other a curt nod and smile as we watched New Directions finish the number.

Then they began their final number, one that I sensed they had a deep connection to. As the group sang _Don't Stop Believing_, I couldn't help but be amazed by not only their talent, but just by how much fun they seemed to be having on stage. While deep down, I knew Vocal Adrenaline had this contest in the bag, I felt that if heart was a factor in the judge's decision, New Directions would win hands down.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I actually began to envy them for the way they performed. The way I once trained Vocal Adrenaline was similar to what I was seeing, but for them the purpose of show choir had become all about winning, and personally I was feeling more and more like I was losing a part of myself to that phenomenon. As the group began singing the final chorus, I had made my decision, and walked away before Will could stop me. I didn't need to run into anyone from New Directions, I didn't need any distractions.

A short while later Vocal Adrenaline was due to perform. I stood side stage as they began.

"_Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?_

_Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality._

_Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see."_

Little did I know, was that while my team was performing, New Directions was far away at the hospital, for Quinn had gone into labour shortly after their performance.

"_Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?_

_Biz-Mil-Ah, NO, we will not let you go!_

_Biz-Mil-Ah, we will not let you go!_

_Will not let you go, Will not let you go!_

_Let me go-o-o-o"_

During the performance, I saw a couple enter the building, and I was surprised to see that my foster parents, Mr and Mrs Chamberlain, take a seat in the audience. I wasn't expecting them to be here.

"_Nothing really matters, anyone can see._

_Nothing really matters, nothing really matters to me."_

As the song entered its final stages, I could've sworn I saw Rachel leave her spot from watching the performance from the back of the audience.

"_Any way the wind blows…"_

As I was waiting in my prep room, while Vocal Adrenaline was still taking photos, my foster parents entered the room. Don't get me wrong, I love them as I should for taking me in, but for the past four years they had been trying to adopt a baby. Even though they were incredibly wealthy, it was incredibly hard for them to get a baby.

"How did the interview go?" I asked.

"No good, I'm afraid," said Mary, "She said she didn't want to risk the child growing into a brat from being raised in a privilege background."

"It's all political," said Joseph. Before he could continue his sentence, the door to the room opened and Rachel entered.

"Oh sorry, Sam," she said, "I didn't realise you had company."

"Please, Rachel," I answered, "Come on in, I want you to meet my foster parents, Mary and Joseph."

"Oh!" Mary exclaimed, "This is Rachel? Your sister? My goodness you are beautiful, dear. I'm sorry we didn't get to hear you sing, but I'm sure you sounded wonderful. Sam keeps telling us how wildly talented you are."

"That's very kind of you to say, Ma'am" Rachel said.

"Oh, please dear, call me Mary."

"Mary, thank you." Rachel then turned to me. "I just wanted to say congratulations on the performance."

"Thanks Rachel," I said, smiling.

"But we beat you today. Jesse's a good singer, but you and I both agree he doesn't have much heart. I mean, Vocal Adrenaline's best days are behind them. So I have a proposition for you." She walked up close to me, and she seemed to struggle to find the words, but eventually she found them, "Come teach New Directions."

"Excuse me?"

"You and Mr Schuster could be co-directors, we'd be unstoppable. There's so many things that you could teach me." She paused, "Some things only you can teach me."

"Oh Rachel," I said, walking past her shaking my head. "I was about to tell Mary and Joseph my decision before you came in, but I can't do this anymore. I'm tired of coaching glee club, I want a life. It took meeting you, and watching you guys perform today to realise all of the things that I'm missing out on. I need to focus more on what little time left I have being a teenager, you know, I need to hang out with friends, do homework, not make money for other people." I could see the disappointment in Rachel's face, and I knew she deserved an explanation. "I just see you and I'm reminded of our mother, and I realise that coaching a glee club is not what she would want for me, and I can't let it continue. I saw how happy you were when you were performing, and I want that same happiness."

Rachel nodded as though she understood, and then turned to leave, but before she could exit I asked "Where's the rest of your team?"

"Oh, they're at the hospital. Quinn had her baby."

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. She had a beautiful baby girl." And on that note she left the room. I turned towards Mary and Joseph, and as I expected, I saw a look of hope on their face, and I smiled at them in knowing that there was a baby out there that needed a home.

But before we could go to the hospital to investigate, the show choir winners needed to be announced. As the three groups stood waiting on stage, the tension in the air could be cut with a knife. I didn't realise this at the time, but had I known that New Directions needed to at least place at Regionals, who knows, maybe I would have changed my tactics when I taught them their funk number. But anyways, after Aural Intensity was announced as runner's up, I knew Vocal Adrenaline had won. As Judge Sylvester announced our win, the uproar in the auditorium was deafening. Jesse was leaping up and down, so was Andrea, who ran to me and hugged me. While this was happening I was looking over at the rest of New Directions whom had returned from the hospital, only to be met with a bunch of sad faces. I walked over to Will, and held out my hand, which he shook, and I could tell that even though the group had lost, I had made a friend in Will.

A short while later, Joseph, Mary and I went to the hospital. They were busy trying to find a nurse, but I had found who I was looking for; Quinn and Puck. I found them by the nursery, looking at their baby. As I approached them I asked, "Which one is yours?"

Quinn took one look at me and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I see her now," I responded, "She looks like you." I smiled at them. After a brief pause I asked "Does she have a name yet?"

"No," said Quinn.

"Beth," said Puck.

"Pretty," I said, "I like that name." After a few more moments of watching baby Beth in her crib, I turned to the two of them and said "Hey, if you have a minute, there's a couple I'd like you to meet…"

I was surprised at how fast the next few days went. Joseph and Mary had the baby they always wanted, and I got the little sister I always wanted. Sure, Rachel will always have a special place in my heart, but I had to admit it didn't compare to the most beautiful baby girl in the world, who was now part of the family I had longed for since my mother passed away.

That's not all, they decided to name her Beth, to go with her father's wishes; and I wasn't joking when I said I was done with Vocal Adrenaline. I had arranged to get them through the next Nationals competition, but once the New Year started, that was it.

So I guess it was a bit of an understatement when I said it felt like the end of an era, with my days as coach of the top glee club in the country coming to an end. What I hadn't counted on was being in the administration office a Carmel High, one week after Nationals were over, organising my future. I made a lot of realisations over the past year, and so I decided to go for what I really wanted.

"All the documentation seems to be in order, Sam," the lady said to me, "But where is it were you planning on transferring?"

I looked at her and smiled and said only one word, "McKinley."

Remember when I said this wasn't the story about a Glee club? Well, maybe that was another misconception on my part, because by transferring, I set off a chain of events, set over the next year or so, during which I learn the joys of friendship, the fierceness of defending those you care about, and the tragedies of life, all of which turned me into the man I was destined to become. I never said this was gonna be a short story (wink) ;). This was only the beginning…


	7. Chapter 6: New SchoolNew Beginnings

**Chapter Six: New School, New Directions, New Beginnings**

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would be coming to the school described as "the ass-end of the American education system." Personally I don't follow the words and rumours by those who haven't truly experienced whatever they're describing, but even as I looked at the variety of students and second-rate facilities, I could tell this was going to be quite a change. My foster parents, Mary and Joseph, were initially against me coming here, but when I told them the real reason I wanted to come here they were only too happy for me to transfer from Carmel. I personally think that having a new baby to look after may have softened them to my request.

I approached the front doors and was met with an unusual sight; a massive line of students. As I walked down the front hallway I could see they wanted to sign up for a club or something. I looked towards the signup sheets and was pleased to see Will Schuester standing with the lady I recognised as Sue Sylvester, one of last year's Regionals judges. I could only assume that all the students lining up were signing to join the Glee Club. I began walking towards Will Schuester, hoping he would be surprised to see me, but he and Sue walked away before I reached them. I looked at the signup sheet when I walked past but was surprised that the signup sheet for New Directions was completely blank. All of these students were instead signing up to be part of the cheerleading team. Great, I thought, I just transferred schools where I went from top dog to bottom of the pile in one day; this was going to be an interesting year for me.

My first stop today was Principal Figgin's office to finalise my transfer and receive my class schedule. As I sat on the lounge to wait, I could see through the window that Will and Sue were inside, along with Figgins behind his desk and a man-ish woman next to them. From their body language I could tell they were peeved about something. The large woman, whom I later learned to be the new football coach Shannon Beiste, exited the room, with Sue and Will not long after. They were having a heated discussion as they leaved that I was unable to say hi. But as I was called into Figgin's office, I could see out of the corner of my eye that Will turned his head as I walked past, but not before Sue snapped his attention back to her.

"So you are the new transfer student then," he said as I sat down opposite him, "Here are your timetables, locker code and school map. You don't have classes today, so just take it slow, and get to know your way around, introduce yourself to some students."

"What was all that about, with Mr Shuester and Coach Sylvester?" I asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about, now if you'll excuse me, I need to call an exterminator for the toilet snake problem…"

I then left the office a little more mortified than when I entered it.

I spent most of the morning period just walking around the school; I passed the choir room and could see the glee club in progress. I stood beyond their sight by the door and had a listen to what they were talking about.

"These are comments from Jacob Ben Israel's most recent Glee Club Blog," he looked at the sheet in his hand, "Glee is a giant ball of suck…"

"We get it Mr Shue," said the boy I remembered as Kurt, "Everyone still hates us. So what? So we're plankton on the High School food chain. The only difference is now none of us really care."

"Kurt's right," said the girl I recalled as Mercedes, "We're family. They can bring it all they want, none of it is gonna break us."

I actually found this amusing; their lovey-dovey touchy-feely attitudes clearly explained why they didn't win at Regionals last year. Even though I admired their passion, if they wanted to win they needed to work harder at not letting their emotions get the best of them.

"Okay," continued Will, "I'm really glad you guys have all bonded, the problem is that all this negativity is keeping other students from joining."

"Why do we even need new members?" asked Tina, the Asian girl.

"Well, since Matt transferred we only have 11 members, and if we want to go to Nationals, if we want to beat Vocal Adrenaline, we need to go from a small rebel force to a giant wall of sound!"

"Mr Shuester's right you guys," said a very familiar voice, Rachel, my sister. "You didn't see Vocal Adrenaline perform last year, they were epic! We're going to need new members if we want to beat them."

"Yeah," said Finn, the kid I subdued last year, "I'm with Rachel on this one guys."

"You're gonna have to trust me on this guys," Will continued, "Now, here's the plan. Nationals are in New York this year, and we are going! Now let's get out there and show the school how great it's going to be. Let's give them the song of the year, New Directions style!" As the club began cheering, I realised my cue to leave and continue checking this school out.

The next time I saw New Directions was during the Lunch Hour, out in the quad. I made sure I was wearing my jacket and sunglasses, I wasn't ready for any of the students to recognise me till I was ready. Before I could walk away, I heard a familiar gathering of voices:

"_Bom Bom Bom! Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba Bom Bom Bom!"_

Before I knew it, the students of New Directions began entering the quad from various places, rapping and singing to Empire State of Mind, the kid in the wheelchair, Artie led off;

"_I'ma up at Brooklyn, now I'm down in Tribeca,_

_Right next to De Niro, but I'll be hood forever._

_I'm the new Sinatra, ever since I made it here_

_I can make it anywhere, yeah, they love me everywhere"_

I then heard Finn continue the verse,

"_I used to cop in Harlem, all of my Dominicanos_

_Right there up on Broadway, brought me back to that McDonalds,_

_Took it to my stash box, 560 State Street_

_Catch me in the ktchen like a Simmons whipping Pastry"_

I then heard Puck pick up from the stairwell; I could recognise that Mohawk anywhere,

"_8 million stories, out there in it naked_

_City, it's a pity, half of y'all won't make it_

_Me, I got a plug, Special Ed "I Got It Made"_

_If Jeezy's payin' LeBron, I'm payin' Dwyane Wade_

_Three dice cee-lo, three Card Monty_

_Labor Day Parade, rest in peace Bob Marley_

_J-gga I be spiked out, I can trip a referee _

_Tell by my attitude that I most definitely from"_

I watched from the top of the steps as the girls then began the interlude with an interesting dance routine,

"_One hand in the air for the big city_

_Street lights, big dreams all looking pretty_

_No place in the World that could compare_

_Put your lighters in the air"_

For the rest of the number, I watched from afar. I was a little disappointed that no one from the student cohort approached them after they had finished. Clearly this glee club wasn't the coolest of clubs, and yet I wasn't about to turn about face and run back to Carmel and Vocal Adrenaline. I decided that if this glee club was gonna win, they would need my help.

The next few days went by rather quickly, during which I witnessed many things, including some atrocious behaviour I didn't expect of Will when he was being mean to Coach Beiste, Finn was being berated by that same coach for trying to get Artie, the wheelchair kid, onto the football team (man, wasn't that an ear shattering experience), but worse of all, I heard Rachel sent another transfer student, some girl named Sunshine, to a former crack den instead of the glee club rehearsals. I still hadn't introduced myself to anyone at this stage, mostly because I was scared how they would react when they saw me. I was afraid they would think I was trying to mess with them.

Anyways, after watching Sunshine's audition for New Directions, I was astounded by her voice by the way; I heard that the new coach of Vocal Adrenaline had come to take her back to Carmel with him. I was eager to see who my former team had decided to replace me with; unfortunately by the time I arrived they were already gone. Apparently she decided to transfer to Carmel High because of what Rachel did.

So New Directions was a man short, and none of the new students were willing to join. I carefully considered the situation; I realised I had resigned from Vocal Adrenaline because I found no enjoyment in coaching glee club anymore, however I do love performing, so I decided to join them. Also, they seemed desperate for a new team member, so hopefully that will play in my favour.

As the bell rang I ran up to the choir room doorway; I saw Rachel head in shortly before. I listened at the door as she apologised to the club for what she did to Sunshine.

"I hope that, in time, you guys can forgive my actions. I was being selfish, and that is not what glee club is about." Rachel said, and I could sense it was sincere.

Will stood up to begin the lesson, "Thank you Rachel, hopefully we can find some new team members soon, but in the meantime, let's start this week's assignment with,"

"Excuse me," I said while knocking and entering the room. A was met with a variety of looks, surprise, confusion, glumness, but the best look came from Rachel as I removed my sunglasses. It was just, joy, her face began to light up as she realised who I was. "My name is Sam Corcoran," I said, "And I want to join your glee club."

Yep, I just said that to a group whom last year I was bound to take down. This was going to be an interesting year.


End file.
